More than 22,000 people looking forward to running in the Marine Corps Marathon will need to find something else to do that weekend or participate in a virtual event.
The Marine Corps Marathon today announced it canceled all events associated with the Marine Corps Marathon Weekend, Friday, October 29 to Sunday, October 31. That includes the signature 10K and 50K marathon events in Arlington, which draws tens of thousands of people each year from across the U.S. to our region.
Officials said that a virtual event would be held instead of an in-person race due to safety precautions, officials said. Race organizers did not mention the coronavirus as the reason for the cancelation.
“Although we were not able to conduct a live event for 2021, we trust that each of you understands that safety for you and our great support team took priority,” stated Col. Micheal C. Brooks, Quantico Marine Corps Base commanding officer, in a press release.
A total of 22,000 people signed up to participate in the event’s weekend, as more than half of those signed up to compete in the in-person run. Those who paid the entry fee to participate in the 10K and 50K runs will receive their registration fee refunded, or they may defer their entry to next year’s 2022 race at no additional cost.
Last year, the marathon was held virtually and attracted nearly 20,800 people. In 2019, more than 26,500 participated in both the marathon and weekend events leading up to the race.
The Marine Corps Marathon is one of multiple events in the race series. The Historic Half takes place in May, where runners race through Hospital Hill at Quantico Marine Corps Base.
The Marine Corps 17.75K, which celebrates the year the Marine Corps was founded in 1775, is held each year in March. Runners, again, traditionally travel around Quanitco Marine Corps Base.
